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Olotu FI1, Shayo MJ1
1Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Physiotherapy, Moshi, Tanzania
Background: Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD´s) are common and they cause disability. Physical aspects of work are highly associated with WRMSD´s (Munabi et al., 2014). Past five years we experienced increased flow of health workers at our department seeking advice due to complaints of back/neck pain. Physiotherapy department prepared presentation focusing on educating workers regarding back care. As a result the hospital management requested the department to prepare an educational tour to different departments to deliver education. During the time that the educational tour was conducted, data on the prevalence of and risk factors for WRMSD´s was collected from workers.
Purpose: To determine the point prevalence and factors associated with WRMSD's among Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre workers.
Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted at KCMC hospital. Self reported paper-based questionnaire was designed for this study and used to collect data on the prevalence and factors associated with WRMSD's among KCMC workers. Data were entered into SPSS version 20 then transferred to STATA version 13 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize the data. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between explanatory variables and WRMSD´s, those with p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the hospital administration.
Results: The study included a total of 414 study participants out of 1000 KCMC workers. Prevalence of WRMSD´s among KCMC workers was 63.3%. Pain was the highest reported WRMSD´s (88.5%) followed by stiffness (33.2%), burning sensation (32.1%), numbness (31.3%), weakness (22.1%) and the least was cold sensation (13.4%). Lumbar was the most reported body region affected by WRMSD´s (79.4%) followed by lower limbs (51.5%), thoracic (33.6%), neck (25.9%) and the least was upper limbs (22.1 %). Being female (AOR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.49; 3.77, p 0.001), having 31 or more years of working (AOR=3.85, 95% CI: 1.09; 13.48, p=0.035), and having more than 8 hours of working per day (AOR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.02; 2.57, p=0.040) are the main risk factors for WRMSD´s at KCMC.
Conclusion(s): This study provides information on the high prevalence and risk factors of WRMSD's among KCMC workers. Ergonomics training to workers may reduce WRMSD's among health workers at KCMC. Further studies are important to identify which other factors may be related to WRMSD's.
Implications: Workers should be educated on how to prevent WRMSDs through practicing proper postures and simple flexibility exercises at work to avoid WRMSDs.
Keywords: Work-related, Musculoskeletal, Disorders
Funding acknowledgements: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, hospital administration.
Purpose: To determine the point prevalence and factors associated with WRMSD's among Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre workers.
Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted at KCMC hospital. Self reported paper-based questionnaire was designed for this study and used to collect data on the prevalence and factors associated with WRMSD's among KCMC workers. Data were entered into SPSS version 20 then transferred to STATA version 13 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize the data. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between explanatory variables and WRMSD´s, those with p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the hospital administration.
Results: The study included a total of 414 study participants out of 1000 KCMC workers. Prevalence of WRMSD´s among KCMC workers was 63.3%. Pain was the highest reported WRMSD´s (88.5%) followed by stiffness (33.2%), burning sensation (32.1%), numbness (31.3%), weakness (22.1%) and the least was cold sensation (13.4%). Lumbar was the most reported body region affected by WRMSD´s (79.4%) followed by lower limbs (51.5%), thoracic (33.6%), neck (25.9%) and the least was upper limbs (22.1 %). Being female (AOR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.49; 3.77, p 0.001), having 31 or more years of working (AOR=3.85, 95% CI: 1.09; 13.48, p=0.035), and having more than 8 hours of working per day (AOR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.02; 2.57, p=0.040) are the main risk factors for WRMSD´s at KCMC.
Conclusion(s): This study provides information on the high prevalence and risk factors of WRMSD's among KCMC workers. Ergonomics training to workers may reduce WRMSD's among health workers at KCMC. Further studies are important to identify which other factors may be related to WRMSD's.
Implications: Workers should be educated on how to prevent WRMSDs through practicing proper postures and simple flexibility exercises at work to avoid WRMSDs.
Keywords: Work-related, Musculoskeletal, Disorders
Funding acknowledgements: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, hospital administration.
Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, hospital administration
Ethics committee: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, hospital administration.
Ethics number: We were not given ethics number
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
